Kingdom Hearts Alpha
by Dr.Roxas4dawin
Summary: What if the story you all remember took a different turn for our heroes? Based around the Kingdom Hearts beta, Sora and his new friends Donald Duck and Goofy search of their King and Sora's missing pals, aided by a Keyblade master of old as they fight against the Darkness. Spoilers for the first three games in the series. Currently at Storybook Land/The Groove Jungle.
1. Trailer & Prologue

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

For this new story here, I wanted to try something new, by taking pieces from installments like Birth by Sleep and the original beta of the first Kingdom Hearts to create a take on Kingdom Hearts that follows a revised version of Sora's quest. It'll include story details from the original game, as well as unused things from the original pitches of the game (also drawing inspiration for the story's direction and tone from franchises like Wizard of Oz, Disney's own Pirates of the Caribbean, and Star Wars), all overarching to the general mythos of the series. I hope you enjoy this prologue trailer!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: TrailerPrologue

_**Disney and Square Enix present...**_

(Dive Into the Heart- Destati, 1.5 Edition plays)

A young boy falls through a dark abyss as a voice calls out to him, asking him what he values the most, and if he is ready for the task at hand, as he lands on a stained-glass platform of the princess Snow White. The boy's name is Sora, and he is destined for a noble task.

"Say, Kairi, what was your hometown like? Y'know, where you grew up?" Sora asks his best friend Kairi among the shores of Destiny Islands, his childhood home.

"I told you before. I don't remember. But, I wouldn't mind going to see it." Kairi responds.

"If there any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one?" Sora's other friend, Riku, inquired as the trio sat by their usual spot at the foot of a low-hanging papou tree. "And if they're out there, then this world's just a piece of something far greater."

Sometime later, Sora is ambushed by a hooded figure who warns him that his world is tied to the fastly-approaching darkness, doomed to be eclipsed and brought to ruin.

"Kairi, Riku! What's going on?" Sora asks as his world laters crumbles away when shadow monsters attack. Now brandishing a chainsaw-like sword, Sora is unsuccessful in saving his world, but is saved from being swept away by a mysterious figure.

"They will come for you out of nowhere, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade." a man named Leon told Sora. He is allied by a blue-haired woman, who also wields the same kind of weapon Sora does, as an anthromorphic duck and dog search around for a boy with "the key to saving everything". The four eventually meet after fighting the same kind of shadow monsters from the islands and team up to travel the worlds. Several places flash by until Sora sees a vision of Riku beckoning to him.

"Yes, Sora. Your heart, your very being, will be extinguished!" This angers Sora enough to attack him, as one last phrase echoes in his mind. "Sora... please don't go."

KINGDOM HEARTS ALPHA

* * *

><p>Prologue<p>

_I've been having these weird thoughts lately... like, is any of this for real or not?_

A young boy with spiky brown hair in a red and blue vest and a conspicuous cat tail is falling through a watery void, surrounded by nothing. The boy slowly awakes as he is plummeting through the space with no real purpose, until he flashes back to standing on a beach shore. In front of him was a silver-haired figure standing in front of the surf. The first boy went over to greet him, only to see the waters recede back into a tidal wave that threatened to sweep his friend away.

_**You're giving me too many things**_

_**Lately, you're all I need; coming home**_

_**You smiled at me, and said:**_

The boy then dived into the water after his friend as he reached out for him while fading away. Pushing through the currents proved futile however, as he was swept away.

_**"Don't get me wrong, I love you**_

_**But does that mean I have to meet your father?"**_

_**When we're older then you'll understand what I meant**_

_**When I said no**_

_**I don't think life is that simple.**_

Emerging from under the water, the boy coughed and sputtered out for air as he saw a girl with red hair and a white tank top waiting for him. Paddling back to shore, the two of them talked to each other as the girl was jokingly giving the boy a hard time, before they turned towards the sky, witnessing a meteor shower. One meteor looked rather familiar to him, as he saw... himself!

_**When you walk away you don't hear me say**_

_**Please, oh baby, don't go**_

_**Simple and Clean is the way you're making me feel tonight**_

_**It's hard to let it go.**_

_**Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning**_

_**Is a little later on.**_

_**Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all.**_

_**Nothing's like before.**_

Falling backwards, the two desperately reached for each other, before the boy was sent back into falling in his void before he finally landed on solid ground. The boy looked around and took a step forward, as a blinding light shone through. Shielding his eyes, the boy soon noticed a flock of birds clearing the shadows beneath his feet. It was a dive into his own heart, and it would lead this boy, Sora, on the beginning of an adventure that would change his and his friends' outlooks on life.

* * *

><p>And that concludes the opening of the story. I hope you enjoyed this little tease of what's to come, and please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going.<p> 


	2. Dive Into the Heart

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Welcome back to the story! Now, we'll cover the entirety of the tutorial in Sora's Dive Into the Heart. I hope you enjoy this update!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Dive Into the Heart<p>

As Sora came to his senses, he looked around the platform to see if anything was around. After a period of silence, he heard an echo inside his mind.

_There is so much to do; and yet so little time._

Sora frowned as this left him with more questions than answers on where he was, and why he was here.

_But take your time. Don't be afraid. Now step forward, Sora. Can you do it?_

(_**Tilt the left analog stick forward slowly to walk. Push the stick up quickly to run. Alter the rotation of the analog stick to change the direction you move. Approach the center of the platform.**_)

Sora then stepped forward towards the shimmering pillar of light in the center of the platform. As he made it into the center, three stone columns rose up, with colorful weaponry floating above it.

_Power sleeps within you. If you give it form, it will grant you strength. Choose well._

(_**Press the circle button to jump. Jump onto one of the three platforms to claim any of the three Dream weapons.**_)

Sora then approached the center pillar, which held a broadsword with a yellow hilt.

_The power of the Warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?_

In his heart, Sora had already made the decision to choose this item, and the voice recognized this, granting him the sword.

_Your path is set. Now what will you give up in exchange?_

Sora then approached another pillar which held a red and black-colored shield.

_The power of the Guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. You give up this power?_

Reluctantly, Sora decided to forgo defense for offense, if it would lead him to the answers he seeks.

_You have chosen the power of the Warrior, and have given up the power of the Guardian. Is this the form you choose?_

Before Sora could answer, the floor of the platform rapidly shattered below him, sending him plummeting into the inky abyss. Fortunately, he hovered away in time as he was transported to another platform which bore the visage of a beautiful young woman in a sparkling white dress and glass slippers. Landing back on his feet, Sora then summoned forth his Dream Sword.

_You've now gained the power to fight and defend._

(_**Press the X button to attack. Swing your weapon** **now.**_)

Sora then swung his weapon forward.

_All right, you've got it! Use this to protect yourself and others._

(_**The gauge on the right-hand side of the screen represents Sora's health bar. The green gauge displays your HP, or hit points. If you run out of HP, it's game over, and you'll be taken to the Continue screen. Restore health with items and magic. Your blue gauge represents how much magic you can use. However, at this time, magic is still a mystery to you.**_)

As Sora smiled at this triumph, a tiny little shadow monster slunk up in front of him.

"What is that?!" Sora gasped in shock.

_There will be times when you have to fight; and your faith in the light will be tested. Don't let it deceive you. Keep the light inside yourself burning strong._

Sora then attacked the monster with a three-hit combo, causing it to then dissolve into a purplish mist. The creature also dropped little green orbs as it fell, which Sora collected.

(_**You gain EXP, or experience points, from defeating enemies. Collect enough EXP and you'll grow to a new level. Also, enemies can drop items after they've been defeated. You can collect these items by walking up to them. Items can do different things; like restore HP or magic.**_)

_Behind you!_

(_**Generally, you'll automatically target the enemy closest to you. But you can lock onto a specific target by pressing the R1 button. The words "LOCK ON!" will appear on the upper left corner of the screen when you're locked onto a target. Doing so also limits what actions you can perform, especially against other enemies. Press R1 again to exit out of Lock On mode. Lock onto the enemy and defeat all targets.**_)

Sora then jerked around to see another shadow monster right behind him. Locking onto it, he attacked it and its brethren with several sword strikes, until finally, the last one sank into the platform and sent Sora sinking into a puddle of darkness. As he came to his senses, he found himself lying on his back on another new platform, where an ethereal door stood before him. Sora then approached the door, only to find he couldn't open it.

(_**What you see before you is a field icon. It pops up whenever a special command is available. To examine an object like the door in front of you, press the Triangle button.**_)

As Sora stepped away from the door, a treasure chest spawned out of thin air in a corner of the platform. Sora approached the chest and opened it, which, in turn caused a large crate to appear. He then pushed the crate around before breaking it with his sword, collecting a potion from the broken debris.

(_**You can push large crates, as well as smash them. Sometimes, destroying crates or barrels will yield items, which you can use with the Items command. You can lock onto objects as well as enemies. When locked on, press the L2 button to shift your focus from one target to another. Try it with the barrel near you.**_)

The boy approached the barrel locked on and hurled it off the platform and into the depths below, as it allowed the door to finally become corporeal. He then opened the door slowly, stepping through the blinding light to see where it would take him next. When Sora blinked his eyes again, the murky surroundings were gone; replaced with the vibrant sunny views of his beach home in Destiny Islands.

_Hold on, the door won't open just yet. First, tell me more about yourself._

(_**Press the select button to enter a first person view. You can use the left stick to look around, then press select again when you want to exit first-person view. Also, use the right analog stick to move the game camera to whichever spot you find comfortable. Look around to see your friends.**_)

Sora then looked around to see three of his friends from his carefree days: Selphie Tilmitt, Tidus, and Irvine Kinneas. First Sora approached Tidus, who was standing by the corner of the balcony overlooking the ocean vista surrounding the island.

(_**When approaching another character, the examine command turns into the talk button. Press the Triangle button to talk to characters in front of you. Talk to Tidus.**_)

"Tidus!"

"Hey, Sora. What's up?" Tidus asked.

"I'm not really sure; it's been a weird morning so far..." Sora said still lost in thought.

"Spill the beans, Sora! What are you so afraid of?"

"Uh, getting old." Sora nervously answered.

"Getting old? Is that **really **so scary?" Tidus asked underwhelmed, before he faded away without an explanation.

"Hey, what's that supposed- to mean?" Sora retorted, before being freaked out by Tidus's disappearance. Confused, he then approached Selphie, who was fixing her hair and sitting on the railing of the balcony.

"Sora, what do you think is most important to you?" Selphie asked Sora.

"Friendship, of course!"

With a giggle, Selphie then responded "That's what I thought you'd say." She then shimmered away, leaving Sora baffled again. The only person Sora had left to talk to was Irvine, who was stretching as he branished his toy air rifle.

"Howdy, Sora!" Irvine greeted his friend.

"Irvine, did you just see Tidus and Selphie vanish on us?"

"Nope, they're here on the island as always. Why do you ask?" Irvine replied.

"_Am I just seeing things?_" Sora asked himself.

"Anyway, what do you want most out of life?" Irvine questioned.

"More questions, huh?" Sora mused. "OK, I'd say to see rare sights."

"To see rare sights, huh?" Irvine said as he walked away to leave Sora with his thoughts.

_You're afraid of getting old, value friendship, and want to see rare sights. Your adventure begins at midday. Keep a steady pace, and you'll be fine. The day you open the door is both far off and very near._

Again, Sora became surrounded by a blinding light, leading back onto another platform, where a beacon of light was shining down in the center. The platform bore the image of a sleeping girl surrounded by fairies and the shadow of an evil green witch. Curious, Sora walked towards it and looked around again.

(_**Press the start button to open the menu screen. There, you can view your inventory and status, as well as configure the game settings. However, the menu screen will not be available during battles.**_)

As Sora let the warm light bask him, a swarm of the shadow monsters appeared as Sora got ready for battle. Quickly, he defeated the enemies before gaining a boost of strength. He then returned to the center where he stood inside a green shimmering circle which then led to a pathway of stairs being created.

(_**This circle is a save point. Touch them to quickly restore your HP and MP. Press Triangle when inside one to save your game. Remember to save often before you decide to stop playing. These things don't come by easily, you know.**_)

Sora then climbed the platform again, to see another platform featuring a girl in a white robe, brandishing a space rifle with silhouettes of soldiers surrounding her and a dark helmeted figure on the other side of her. As Sora approached closer, the staircase gradually disappeared until it vanished completely as he stepped onto the new platform. Approaching the center, he saw another beacon shining down, which made has shadow grow into a monstrous form.

_The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes. But don't be afraid, and don't forget..._

The figure slowly rose up in front of Sora, as he backed away in horror. The figure's hand transformed into an outstretched claw, and its shoe turned into a misshapen curling foot. In fear, Sora ran for his life as the shadowy figure with a piercing yellow gaze stared him down. Sora then realized he had no choice but to fight the monster, this DarkSide of his very being. With fierce vigor, Sora struck away at the monster for what seemed like an eternity, his blood boiling in determination to rid himself of this shadow, eventually succeeding... or so he thought. With a gurgling roar, the monster knocked Sora down and formed a pool of darkness around him. Sora then began to scream at himself to wake up from this dream, and fast!

_Don't be afraid, and don't forget, you hold the mightiest weapon of all. So remember this, you are the one who will open the door._

* * *

><p>And that concludes Sora's dream in the story. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	3. Destiny Islands- Day 1

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Welcome back to the story! Now, let's start a new chapter with Sora and the gang's time on Destiny Islands building the raft on the first of two days. I hope you enjoy this update!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Destiny Islands (Day 1)<p>

Sora's eyes fluttered open as he woke up from his peculiar vision. Above him was a sunny blue sky with seagulls flying every which way among the clouds, and the pristine seawater out in the distance. Yawning in relief and exhaustion, he layed back down to fall asleep again, only to see his friend Kairi stare down on him.

"Whoa!" Sora gasped, jolting up with his fur on his cat tail becoming erect with fear, as Kairi laughed at Sora's rude awakening. "Aw, gimme a break, won't you, Kairi?"

"Sora, you lazy bum," Kairi teased the boy. "I knew I'd find you snoozing down here."

"No, I had this nightmare where some huge black thing swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe; I couldn't-" Kairi then smacked Sora on the head to get him to snap back to reality. "-Oww."

"Earth to Sora, you can come out of Dream Land now."

"It wasn't a dream! Or was it? I dunno." Sora rebuked. "What was that place anyway?"

"OK, it wasn't a dream, Sora. I believe you. Then what would you call it?" Kairi asked.

"Uh, Kairi? What was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up?" Sora asked back, changing the subject.

"I told you before. I don't remember."

"Nothing at all?" Sora questioned.

"Not a thing." Kairi answered.

"Do you think you'd ever want to go back there?"

"Well, I'm happy here. But I wouldn't mind going to see it someday." Kairi said.

"I'd like to see it someday too; along with any other worlds out there." Sora added happily. "I wanna see 'em all!"

"Hey!" Sora and Kairi's older friend Riku called out. "Aren't you two forgetting about me? Or am I the only one actually getting to work on our raft?" Riku then tossed Sora a wooden log for him to carry, knocking him back on his rear.

"We'll finish it together then. I'll race you!" Kairi suggested.

The three then began racing around grabbing their pieces of the raft. Each of them found a cloth for the sail, wooden logs for the body of the raft, and rope to hold it all together. After Sora collected his pieces of the raft, he then went around to explore the island and practice up on his sword sparring. Going up to Riku by their usual spot by a low-hanging palm tree, he told him that all the supplies for building the raft were collected.

"Already? I gave Kairi my share of the supplies hours before you." Riku said snarkingly. "But since you're here, wanna duke it out?"

"Do I ever!" Sora said.

"Then this decides the champion!" Riku decided, as he climbed down and brandished his wooden sword. "Here I come!"

Riku began the battle with a downward slash, which Sora dodged and countered with a spinning swing.

"Lucky shot, Sora. But let's see if you can handle this!" Riku called as he got ready for another attack. Sora then parried the move and struck back, causing Riku to stagger back and spring into a somersault attack. The impact knocked the wind out of Sora, and he almost fell off the edge. Sora fought back, only for Riku to block his swings. "Heh, you still haven't got it. My turn!" Riku then knocked Sora off the edge, sending him falling into the water.

"Aw, so close!" Sora groaned sadly, as he swam back to shore.

"You'll get the hang of it, Sora. Eventually!" Riku said back jokingly. After Sora dried off, the three sat by their usual spot, talking about what challenges lie ahead of them by going through with making the raft.

"Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?"

"Could be. We'll never know by staying here." Riku answered.

"But how far could a raft take us?" Sora asked.

"Who knows? If we have to, we'll think of something else."

"So, if you ever went to another world, what would you do there?" Kairi added on.

Pausing to think, Riku then responded "You know, I never really thought about it yet. But, don't you ever wonder why we're stuck on this island? If there's other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? And, suppose there are other worlds, then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So, we could've easily ended up somewhere else, right?"

"I dunno," Sora answered with a shrug.

"Exactly. Which is why we need to go out and find out. Staying here won't change a thing." Riku sternly responded.

"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Kairi asked Riku.

"Thanks to you. If you and Sora didn't encourage me, I probably would've never thought of any of this. So, thanks." As the three began to head home, Riku then tossed Sora something. "Didn't you want one?"

"A Papou fruit?" Sora inquired.

"You know the legend, of course: if two people share one, their destinies are intertwined. They'll be a part of each other, no matter what." Riku explained before giving Sora a sly wink. Flustered, Sora then angrily chased his friend back into town, as Kairi walked ahead. Unknownst to the three of them, a mysterious figure was watching them from the wooden balcony where Tidus usually trains.

"**_Ven..._**" the figure whispered to herself. "**_I promise I'll make things right for us all._**"

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	4. The King's Exodus and Donald's Discovery

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: The King's Exodus and Donald's Discovery<p>

Meanwhile, in a faraway world, a small duck waddled through the halls of a giant castle. For this is the Disney Castle, where the benevolent King Mickey and Queen Minnie protect the kingdom with sincere hearts and a powerful Cornerstone of Light to ward away the darkness. As the duck, a wizard by the name of Donald, was walking to meet with Mickey, while he was humming a chipper tune to himself.

"Bhrm hmhm hrmhm do doo do doo dodoo, M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E."

When Donald approached the door, he cleared his throat before clanking the door knocker against the metal as it opened a small latch for Donald to enter through. Waddling up to the throne room, the wizard announced his presence.

"Good morning, your Majesty! It's nice to see you this morn-" But as Donald looked towards the throne, the King was nowhere to found. "Wha?" Instead, the King's lovable pet dog Pluto held a letter bearing the King's seal in its mouth. "Pluto? What's that letter you have there?" Donald asked before he began to read through it. After he finished it, the duck scrambled out of the room squawking out unintelligible screams as he went searching for the one person he could trust this news to.

After running for minutes on end, he made it out into the Castle Gardens, where the Royal Captain of the Castle Guard, Goofy, was taking a nap in the field of flowers.

"Wake up, Goofy! I have something important to tell you!" Donald quacked, only to receive the response of Goofy's loud snoring. After trying (and failing) a second time to wake him up verbally, Donald resorted to his arcane experience and zapped Goofy with a thunder attack.

"Yeowch!" Goofy yelped, snapping awake. The anthromorphic dog then turned towards Donald. "Hey there, Donald. G'morning."

"We have a problem, Goofy! Something that involves us both! But we can't tell anyone."

"Nobody? Queen Minnie?" Goofy said in confusion.

"Not even the Queen can know!" Donald replied.

"Daisy?"

"No! It's top secret!" Donald groaned.

"Good morning, ladies!" Goofy then greeted, as Donald turned around to see both Queen Minnie and her aide (and Donald's sweetheart) Daisy looking at them.

"Donald?" Daisy asked sternly. "Is there something you should tell us?" Donald only laughed nervously, as he realized he would have to tell them everything the King had written to them about.

* * *

><p>Hours earlier, Mickey was away in the world known as "Symphony of Sorcery", at the tower of his teacher and oldest friend, Master Yen Sid. As he reached the entrance to his chambers, he saw two enchanted broomsticks standing guard in front of the door.<p>

"I need to seek audience with Yen Sid!" The doors then opened as Mickey walked in and saw his master sitting at his table, waiting to greet him.

"Yen Sid, I came here because there's something troubling I had to share with you."

"Of course, Mickey. I too, have seen the stars blinking out of existence, meaning the end of those worlds." Yen Sid answered.

"Yeah, I haven't seen anything like this happen before since-" Mickey began to speak, before Yen Sid spoke again.

"Since the fall of the Land of Departure?" Yen Sid finished for his apprentice.

"Of course! Do you think those two things are connected, by any chance?" Mickey asked.

"Alas, my pupil, even I cannot tell. The future is always in motion, and the darkness clouds all that is to be." Yen Sid answered despondently.

"Then, isn't there anything we can do?"

"You must write a letter back to Disney Castle. Your friends Donald and Goofy must seek out the next Keyblade wielder to help save the worlds from darkness. I believe that our messenger has already sought him out."

"Of course, sir. Is there anything else that they need to know?"

"Yes. Have them seek out a swordsman named Leon, who will help guide them to the Keybearer. They must stick with him, no matter what. It is the only way." Yen Sid answered. As Mickey finished writing his letter, and transported it back home, a loud thumping was heard at the door into the room.

"Hey! Open up in there, you mugs! Where's your hospitality?" a voice called them out, as claw scrapes and the sound of rubble dropping went out.

"Mickey, you must make haste, or other worlds will face the same fate as this one soon will." Yen Sid said in concern.

"But, what about you?" Mickey asked worriedly.

"Just go, and don't look back! You're wasting time!" Yen Sid ordered.

"Okay!" Mickey answered sadly before escaping with his old Star Shard. After Mickey left, and the rubble and thumping continued, Yen Sid sighed in disgust.

"Tch. And I've just redecorated again..." Yen Sid softly lamented before the door broke down and shadowy monsters appeared, led by a large cat-like figure.

"Well, well. If it ain't the mighty Yen Sid, the boat boy's master!" the figure laughed menacingly.

"Pete. I thought the King and Queen had you banished..."

"I was, chumpy. But you could say a fair maiden stopped by and gave me a second chance. But you won't be so lucky!" Pete said in reply to Yen Sid.

"I may appear old to you, but I still have plenty of surprises for you. You will never fully claim this world!" Yen Sid exclaimed as he unleashed a blast of magic, teleporting Pete and the Heartless away, and sparing the tower. However, the rest of the world he resided in was lost to another realm entirely. Yen Sid, realizing that there was nothing more that he could do as the pieces were all in place for the mission to save the worlds, he sat down again, musing to himself in wishing luck to his pupil and the mysterious messenger.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	5. Destiny Islands Day 2 & Riku's Betrayal

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Destiny Islands- Day 2 and Riku's Betrayal<p>

The next day soon arrived in Destiny Islands, and Sora set out once again on the island to fix up the raft. First, before going to look for Sora and Riku, the boy talked to his friend Tidus.

"Hey, Sora! You've gotten stronger lately. But I bet you're still no match for Riku."

"That's debatable." Sora answered.

"Well, me and the others took him on three to one the other day, and he whooped us all. But I guess Kairi can always count on him." Tidus continued.

"Hey, let's have a sparring match!" Sora suggested.

"Three on one again, huh?" Tidus asked.

"One on one this time." Sora said.

"No problem, I can take you on myself." Tidus said as he pulled out a wooden baton as the two readied for battle. Parrying his blows, Sora managed to overpower the young boy and as he triumphed, Sora felt himself gradually grow stronger.

"Man, I'm really off today." Tidus said in defeat as Sora walked away, grabbing a seagull egg as part of the provisions for the raft trip. Sora then also swam around the ocean surrounding the plateau where Tidus was training, collecting fish to eat. He then set out to the Cove on the other side of the island, where he met up with Riku.

"Hey, Sora. I've been coming up with a name for the raft. I was thinking of Highwind; what would you choose?"

"How about... Excalibur!" Sora suggested.

"It can't be both. Let's settle this."

"The usual?"

"At it again? Kairi asked. "Okay then, I'll be the judge. The same rules as always apply: first one to the star post and back wins."

"If I win, then I'm captain. And if you win..." Sora said before Riku interrupted him.

"Then I share a paupou with Kairi. That's the deal: the winner shares a paupou with Kairi." Riku answered.

"Wait a minute!" Sora said, before Kairi had the race start. Sora then ran through the path quickly, beating out Riku's route before he could reach the star post. Driven by the determination to be with Kairi, he made it back almost in record time.

"Yeah! Won this time!" Sora cheered in success.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It's just a name after all. And that paupou thing was just a joke." Riku said as he made it back. After leaving his friend alone, Sora went out to collect mushrooms and coconuts from around the rest of the beach. Heeding word from Irvine, he looked inside one of the island's most mysterious part of the island.

"There's gotta be something in that there cave by the base of the tree." Irvine said as he mentioned him and Tidus exploring the island today. Curiously, Sora went inside and discovered several wall carvings on the cave walls as well as a large wooden door in the center of the space. One particular carving caught his attention. Years ago, when Sora and Kairi first met, they made a mural of themselves together crudely into the Rocky surface. Now, the boy etched in a papou piece being shared between them, before he turned towards a shadowy figure staring at him.

"What are you doing here?" Sora asked.

"_I''ve come to see the door to this world._"

"Huh?"

"_This world is connected; tied to the darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed. _"

"Whoever you are, stop freaking out like this!" the boy demanded before asking where the other man came from.

"_It doesn't matter who I am. What truly matters is that I will carry out the will of Xehanort. Heed my words, tonight one of your friends will betray you and everyone you know to fulfill his wildest dream. And he will forever belong to the darkness beyond this realm. _"

"So you're from another world!" Sora concluded.

"_There is so very much to learn, you understand so little; and one who knows nothing understands nothing. _"

Looking towards the door, the boy thought he saw a lock on it, and then saw the mystery man had vanished. Confused, Sora and Riku then went to spend part of the evening at Kairi's house, but Riku had mysteriously vanished partway through the night.

When Sora brought up the discussion about Xehanort to Kairi's father, the Mayor, he tried to dodge the issue by saying that name was just an old legend: nothing more than forklore made to scare a select few children who pry too much in wondering about other worlds.

Later that evening, Sora and Kairi sat by the balcony of her house and began talking about the trip ahead of them.

"You know, Riku's changed a lot lately. I was almost afraid of going on this trip, but now I'm ready." Kairi confessed.

"How so?" Sora asked.

"Sora, how about we take the raft and go; just the two of us."

"What?!"

"Just kidding!" she laughed.

"Stop it! You're the one who's changed." Sora said.

"Maybe. Sora, don't ever change." Kairi said to her friend.

* * *

><p>Later that night, as Sora and Kairi were uneasily falling asleep, Riku arrived on the island, and went into the Secret Place, approaching the door in the room. Contemplating on opening it, he sent out a surge of darkness as the door shattered open and a Gale of dark winds created a storm which enveloped the islands.<p>

"At last, we can go to the outside worlds." Riku mused to himself.

When Sora woke up, he saw Kairi's room was empty, before he was rudely awakened by her father.

"Sora, you need to help!"

"Whuh?" Sora asked.

"I was thinking about what you told me about Xehanort, and it reminded me of a story where all the worlds are under attack, and Kairi is a part of it. Please, I know we never saw eye to eye since you first met my daughter, but I beg of you, save her. Save everyone!"

"Okay, sir. I promise you I'll protect her." Sora answered as he set out towards the island, while Kairi's father went to break the sad news to his wife as they were bracing for the end.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	6. Night of Fate

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Night of Fate<p>

{"Night of Fate- 1.5 Arrangement" plays in the background}

When Sora finally arrived at the islands, he looked up towards the skyline, seeing an ominous orb of impure energy looming over everything. He then turned behind him to notice Riku and Kairi's boats were docked.

"They have to be here. We have to keep the raft from being destroyed!" Sora thought, before a swarm of shadowy monsters appeared in front of him. They looked horrifyingly familiar: they were the exact same monsters from Sora's dream! Pulling out his wooden sword, he tried to strike one of them, but the sword just passed through the being like smoke, not even affecting it. There was only one choice if the boy wanted to survive:

(_**Objective: Run!**_)

Sora then ran through the beach, leaping on top of the roof of a tiny wooden shack by the waterfall as he dodged the shadowy creatures, including a new one shaped like a ball of darkness with dangling antennae and a tail spazzing to and fro like a feral monster. In the distance, he saw Riku standing on the small platform where the two would always have their sword fights. He then ran for his friend, hoping the monsters wouldn't get to him.

"Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!" Sora asked, concerned for their friend's safety. "And what about the raft we made?"

"We won't need it anymore. The door- has opened." Riku answered cryptically.

"Huh?!"

"The door has opened, Sora! Now we can finally go to the outside world."

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked. "We need to find Kairi and tell our family goodbye first."

"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku snapped back, making Sora back away in shock. "Once we step through, we'll may never be able to come back home. We'll never see our families again; there's no turning back. But this is our only chance. We can't let fear stop us!"

"But Kairi's father and mother... they're worried sick for her. They said she's part of something about the outside worlds. We can still go see the other worlds, but not like this!" Sora pleaded with his friend, trying to make him see reason.

"Don't begin to lecture me, Sora!" Riku shouted angrily. "I've accepted the darkness as the answer! I'm not afraid, and now you have to choose: come with me, or perish!"

"Riku-" Sora replied sadly, before he noticed a pool of darkness forming around Riku, who stretched his hand outward, offering Sora his company. Desperately, Sora clawed out through the pool to save his friend, but to no avail. His friend vanished off the face of the islands, and Sora would've likely been doomed as well, if not for a strong glare of light surging around him.

"_**Sora! It's time!**_"

When the light cleared, Sora found himself wielding a weapon that resembled a yellow and grey chainsaw sword. It was a weapon known as a Keyblade, which can take many forms and is the power of Keybearers to protect the light of all worlds from being threatened. After getting into a battle stance, Sora then attacked a new swarm of the shadow beasts that popped up to attack him. Unlike his wooden sword, the weapon actually made contact, and cut through the enemies as they dissipated into a purplish black mist. After clearing away the monsters in the area, Sora approached the spot leading into the secret cave. It was the only place he hadn't checked for Kairi yet, so she was likely safe in there. Squeezing through the narrow pathway of the save, Sora finally reached the center of the area, finding Kairi standing in front of the wooden door.

"Kairi!" Sora called out, as the young girl turned towards him in a daze.

"Sora..." Kairi weakly answered, as the wooden door shattered into splinters and the full power of the darkness sent Kairi spinning towards him like a rag doll. Sora spread his arms out to catch her, but she disappeared through him like smoke. The current of darkness swept Sora out of the cave and back out into the dying world.

When Sora landed back on the sand, he looked towards the edge and found he was on what was left of his childhood home. His family and friends likely dead, and all recognizable signs of the island gone, the boy was all alone on a doomed speck of rock. As if things couldn't get worse, the DarkSide creature from is dream reared its ugly head once more, leaving Sora little choice but to fight it.

{"Destiny's Force" plays in the background}

(_**Objective: Defeat the DarkSide!**_)

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	7. Home Isn't Where the Heart Is

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

It's the end of Sora's time in Destiny Islands, and the start of the adventure ahead of him and Donald and Goofy. I hope you all enjoy the new update, so let's get started!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Home Isn't Where the Heart Is<p>

{"Destiny's Force" plays in the background)

As the battle began, the DarkSide rammed its arm down deep into the earthy crust of what was left of the island, slowly turning its head towards Sora as it stared at the boy with uncomprehending and emotionless beady eyes. Sora took this opportunity to leap forward and strike away the creature's head with his newfound Keyblade*. After landing a few hits on it, Sora moved back as the monster lifted a ball of dark energy up between its hands that it released into the air above, sending out a pulsating meteor shower. The creature then pulled its arm back before slamming its fist into the ground, summoning a pack of Shadows. Sora destroyed them with a swing of his Keyblade as the DarkSide raised its arm back up, but not before Sora jumped up on it and ran up the arm and striking its head. The monster then staggered around dazed and defeated as the storm grew stronger and sucked the monster into the abyss. Sora, however, was clinging onto a loose piece of wooden debris and was losing his grip when he was almost sucked in as well. Before he was pulled into the orb though, an armored figure caught Sora in her arms while riding some sort of glider.

"The darkness can't have you! I'll keep you safe, Sora. I promise." she assured the now unconscious boy as they flew away from the doomed world and fleeing for some sort of sanctuary.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile back in Disney Castle, Donald and the others were reading over Mickey's message to them, in awe of the King's mission.<p>

"What could this mean?" Daisy asked in concern.

"It means we'll just have to trust the King's decision." Minnie replied somberly.

"Don't worry though, your Majesty; me and Goofy will find the King and this Key." Donald assured the Queen.

"Thank you; both of you." Minnie said gratefully. "Oh! And to chronicle your travels, we have someone who will accompany you." She then gestured towards the King's writing table, where a small insect was jumping up and down to catch Donald and Goofy's attention.

"Over here!" the wizened voice called out loud enough to be heard. "The name's Cricket. Jiminy Cricket, at your service!"

"We hope for your safe return. Please help the King." Minnie asked as the group headed out to the Castle's Gummi Ship hangar. When they reached the hangar, the duo (plus Pluto) boarded the ship with the aid of the Castle's tech whizzes, Chip and Dale. Bidding farewell to Daisy and Minnie, they also met with two new arrivals: a mayor and his wife claiming to be from a destroyed world called Destiny Islands. The couple then asked Donald and Goofy that when they find the Keybearer if they could look for their daughter Kairi.

"Blast off!" Donald called out as the trio began their journey, only to find themselves dropping down a trap chasm out into space before they went into warp speed towards a new world where their quest was about to truly start.

_**Disney and Square Enix present**_

_**Directed by Tetsuya Nomura**_

_**KINGDOM HEARTS ALPHA**_

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p>

*As I received a message in one of the reviews about the Sora's chainsaw weapon being called a Keyblade, I will clarify the note as follows: I was using the upcoming notion of Keyblades taking different forms from KH3/Birth by Sleep and also utilizing Nomura's original concept idea regarding Sora's Keyblade as a chainsaw-like weapon. Personally, I would like to think that this particular Keyblade was an early relic from the Keyblade War that conveniently wound up in Sora's possession.


	8. The Traverse Town Blues

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: The Traverse Town Blues<p>

As Donald and Goofy arrived out of hyperspace, they were led to a city-like world called Traverse Town. According to King Mickey's databanks he had installed in all of the Castle's Gummi ships, Traverse Town is the refuge for anybody who had lost their home worlds to darkness. When they debarked from the ship and entered the town's first district, Goofy pointed up towards the sky to show Donald a surprising sight.

"Look! A star's going out!" Goofy gulped in horror as a star blinked out of existence, symbolizing the end of a world amongst the stars in the galaxy.

"We have to hurry, then, Goofy." Donald proposed, as they set out to search around the town.

{**_World Name: A city sign blinks into view as yellow neon lights flash the letters for "Traverse Town"_**}

"Where's that Key, anyway?" Donald grumbled out loud.

"You know what we should do? We oughta go find that Leon feller." Goofy began to suggest as he saw Pluto slink into an alleyway. "Donald, shouldn't we go follow where-"

"Aw, whaddaya you know, you big palooka?" Donald replief as he blew Goofy's concern off.

"Fair point. Hm, hurry back, Pluto!" Goofy called out as Pluto was currently sniffing around an unconscious body slumped against the wall.

"What a crazy dream. I landed in some sort of town and got a giant chainsaw..." Sora muttered as the dog licked Sora's face playfully before pouncing on him, jolting the boy awake. "Wah! It isn't a dream!" As Sora groggily got up on his feet, he began to wonder where he was.

"Do you know where we are?" he asked the dog before it scampered off upon hearing a high-pitched whistle in the distance. "Hey, wait!" Sora was about chase after it before he was held back by a figure behind him.

"Don't move. You're injured." the stranger warned.

"Who are you? Let go of me! I have to find my friends!" Sora said as he wriggled around to break free.

"You may not remember me, but we met years ago." The figure answered, as she stepped forward, revealing herself as a young blue-haired woman clad in a white dress, a silver armored shoulder plate, and knight's shoes. "My name is Aqua."

"Aqua?" Sora inquired.

"Once, you and your friend Riku made me a promise: that you both would look out for each other. I''ve been watching over you for the past few years, because something's coming. Something I can't take on alone."

"I remember now, but when did I get injured?" Sora asked Aqua.

"Before I rescued you when your home vanished, you grazed yourself on a sharp piece of driftwood." the young woman answered, as she showed Sora his bandaged wound on the side of his abdomen. "It took some time, but your wounds have likely healed by now."

"Thank you for helping me, Aqua, but I still don't know where we are."

"Only one way to find out. Let's go." Aqua answered, as she guided Dora out of the alleyway, where they saw a group of townspeople walking around past a cafe and item shop as they went through their day.

"No way... we're in another world!" Sora began to realize.

{"Traverse in Trance" plays in the background}

Sora and Aqua began walking around the district as they talked to the townspeople, learning about them finding refuge in the town after their homes were destroyed. After walking around, they went through a door at the far end of the district, going further into the town.

As they arrived, a shopkeeper ran past them before stumbling to the ground and clutching his chest in pain. The shopkeeper's heart then floated out of its body and was swallowed by a dark creature clad in metal garments which sputtered around and leapt away, running deeper into the area. When Sora and Aqua attempted to follow it, they came across a team of Shadows that formed a circle around them.

"Those are the same creatures from the islands!" Sora exclaimed as he and Aqua summoned their weapons and readied themselves for battle. Sora attacked the monsters one on one with heavy swings of his blade while Aqua fought the monsters off with a concentrated barrage of light projectiles directed from her sword that was a technique she learned years ago called "Shot Locks".

After they defeated the monsters, they began looking through every building to see if anyone was around. First they passed by a hotel, then the town waterways, the electrical plant and a house that two Dalmatians called home.

("_**Pongo and Perdita's Dalmatian puppies are scattered across the world's. Look everywhere to find them and return them to their family. You can get plenty of good rewards if you do."** _)

After looking around, they decided to return to the 1st District and we're ambushed by a new arrival.

"They will come for you out of nowhere," the stranger warned. "And they'll keep coming, as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade. But why would it choose a kid like you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked, offended by the stranger's remark.

"Never mind. Now, let's get a look at that blade."

"What? I'm not going to let you take it easily!" Aqua warned,

"Have it your way then." the stranger answered as he wielded a sword which he cocked back like a gun. Sora and Aqua confronted the figure with several sword combos, watching their distance as the stranger launched fireballs at them. In a matter of minutes, they wore the stranger down into defeat with one final strike.

"No way! I can't lose..." he grunted in defeat.

"Now- now you're gonna..." Sora painted before he fell into a faint from exhaustion. While Aqua tended to Sora, the stranger was greeted by a blond haired girl in pirate garb.

"You're slipping, Leon." the girl observed.

"No, I just went easy on him, Rikku. But I can't help but feel things are going to get worse. A lot worse.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	9. Meet Leon

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Meeting Leon<p>

Returning to Donald and Goofy, the duo was currently searching around the waterways for any sign of the Key master or Leon.

"It sure is spooky 'round here." Goofy whimpered nervously.

"Phooey! I'm not afraid!" Donald boasted before a stranger tapped Donald's shoulder, causing the duck to seize up and leap onto Goofy's shoulders.

"Pardon me," the stranger asked in a warm soft voice. "But did your King send you here?" As the two turned around, they were greeted by a brunette-haired woman dressed in a pink gown adorned with roses and a red sash around her waist.

* * *

><p>"Come on you lazy bum; wake up!" a voice called out as Sora began to wake up in a hotel room, with Aqua sitting with her back towards the wall on the other side of the room. "Are you okay?"<p>

"Mmph..." Sora grunted as he came back to his senses, seeing Kairi in front of him.

"Those creatures that attacked you wanted your heart, because you wield the Keyblade. But they can't reach in here."

"Kairi..." Sora smiled feebishly. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"Kairi? Who are you talking about? I'm the great Al Bhed Princess Rikku." 'Kairi' responded, before Sora finally realized the person she was talking to was a young woman dressed like she was ready to sail the seas. Rikku then sighed to herself, muttering something in a dialect that sounded foreign to the boy.

"I think you overdid it this time, Squall." Rikku said to a young man at the other side of the room.

"You know I don't like being called that. My name is Leon." the man sternly but calmly corrected her. The young boy then turned around and saw Leon pick up his blade.

"Right, we had to take that away from you to send those creatures on a different trail. As it turns out, that's how they tracked you." Rikku explained.

"It won't hold them off for long though. Still, I find it hard to believe you of all people are the chosen one." Leon added before holding the sword out, as it disappeared into specks of light and flashed back into Sora's hands. "I guess beggars can't be choosers."

"Why don't you start making sense then? What's going on around here?" Sora demanded, while in the other room, three visitors were having a similar conversation.

"You know there are other worlds out there beside your castle and this town, right?" the stranger, a lady named Aerieth asked.

"But they're supposed to be a secret!" Goofy whispered.

"Because they've been cut off from each other this long. But when the Heartless came, everything changed." Aerieth continued.

* * *

><p>"Heartless?" Sora asked.<p>

"Those without hearts. They feed on the darkness in people's hearts, so they can make more of themselves." Aqua explained.

"And there is darkness... in every heart." Leon added somberly.

"Hey, have you ever heard of a man named Ansem?" Rikku questioned.

* * *

><p>"Ansem?" Goofy asked.<p>

"He was the man who knew all about the Heartless, and other worlds. He wrote about all his findings in a detailed report." Aerieth said as she talked about the man. "Only they disappeared when our world vanished, scattered across the worlds."

"Then we gotta find those quick, for the King!" Goofy decided.

"Wait!" Donald interrupted. "First, we need to find that Key!"

"That's right. The Keyblade."

* * *

><p>"So, this is the Key." Sora realized as he observed the sword in his grasp.<p>

"Yes, Sora. The weapon of a Keybearer. Not as clumsy or random as a staff or shield. There used to be many like you and me, but that was before the Keyblade War." Aqua explained to Sora.

"What happened?"

"A man named Terra, who was my friend before he became evil, sought to bring darkness and ruin to the worlds. He then betrayed and murdered our master." Aqua answered sadly.

"Well, I never asked for the Keyblade." Sora said in fear. "All I remember was being in my room... wait! What happened to my home and all my friends? Riku! Kairi...!"

"The Keyblade chooses its master, Sora. And it chose you." Rikku answered.

"I'm sorry. But I don't know. But you'd better prepare yourself for the fight of your life. Rikku, go get Aerieth and have Sora meet with her guests." Leon asked.

"Leon!" Rikku called out as a Soldier Heartless appeared and Leon told Rikku to flee.

"Sora, Aqua, let's go!" The three then fled the building and leapt out into the waterways to follow the trail of Heartless. In the process inside the hotel, Donald's body was squished behind the door into the Red Room as Rikku and Aeriethfled for safety, and the duck slipped off the wall flattening out like a pancake.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	10. The Quartet of Heroes Come Together

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: The Quartet of Heroes Come Together<p>

"Never mind with the small fries out here, Sora. Find their leader!" Leon instructed to the two Keybearers, before he took off to clear the 1st District area of the town.

As the two of them fought their way though, they eventually reached the Third District. As the two went down into the center of the District, Donald and Goofy were nearby, investigating when they were ambushed by Heartless.

"Gawrsh. Are these the Heartless guys?" Goofy asked curiously.

"Let's go get 'em!" Donald called out before they were blown out by a misaimed Fire spell, falling on top of Sora and Aqua. The four were dazed by the fall, before Donald and Goofy took notice of Sora's Keyblade.

"It's the Key!" they said excitedly, relieved to have finally found the person they were looking for. However, their relief was short-lived as a group of Soldier Heartless appeared before the group.

"Ready to fight?" Donald asked.

"Here they come!" Aqua called out as they began to battle against the Heartless.

(_**You have unlocked Co-Op mode. At any time, as long as they are around in your party, you can swap between Sora and Aqua, utilizing their different abilities and playstyles. When playing with a friend, you can aid each other in combat, or grief each other to steal their enemy kills. When you are not playing with a second player, lock onto Aqua with the R1 button and double tap the Triangle button to swap between Sora and are also times you can swap between the Keybearers and Donald and Goofy. But more on that later.**_)**  
><strong>

"Hwuah!" Sora grunted out as he swung his Keyblade in a heavy spin attack that cut through most of the monsters, while Goofy honed in at the creatures to protect him from being scratched at. Meanwhile, Donald and Aqua took out more Heartless using homing fireballs at Shot-locks to defeat the remaining monsters.

After the monsters were cleared away, the group sighed in relief, before their calm was shattered by a giant armored torso clattered to the ground, with a pair metal limbs and head connected to it by some kind of telekinetic power. The armor was a vibrant set of oranges and blues, with a red and black insignia of a heart with a cross over top of it. This was the Guard Armor, leader of Traverse Town's Heartless forces.

{"Shrouding Dark Cloud" starts playing}

(_**Objective: Defeat the Guard Armor!**_)

The Guard Armor attacked the group by spinning its arms around its armored torso and attempted to carve up the team. Sora was nearly hit by the attack, but deftly dodged by a inch. He then stuck back with a leap and swing combo, knocking its feet off and splintering the metal into pieces. He was worn out by the time he landed, but fortunately for him, Donald threw over a potion to help heal Sora's fatigue.

"C'mon!" Goofy hollered, as he attacked the creature's torso, causing it to split apart and fall to the floor. "I got 'em!"

"Farewell!" Aqua called out as she fired a blast of light from her Keyblade, destroying the creature with a blinding shower of light. The monster then trembled in the air as its head clambored onto the floor and the heart inside the Heartless was released out into the sky and the being disappeared in a blur of electricity and aura.

(_**You have obtained the Brave Warrior accessory. Stats: HP- +3, Strength- +1**_)

As Rikku, Aerieth and Leon arrived in the Third District after the dust from the battle had settled, the duo began discussing over Donald and Goofy's search for Sora.

"They too have been seeking the wielder of the Keyblade." Leon explained. "Their King has disappeared and they need your help."

"Why don'tcha two come with us?" Goofy asked. "We could go to tons of worlds in our ship."

"Maybe I can find Riku and Kairi." Sora muttered to himself, lost in thought.

"And I have a friend to search for, too." Aqua said to Donald and Goofy.

"Sora, go with them; especially if you want any hope of finding your friends." Rikku told the boy.

"But you can't come along looking all pouty, understand?" Donald warned. "No frowning, no sad faces, okay?"

"Yeah!" Goofy chuckled. "You gotta look funny, like us!" Donald then pushed Goofy aside, to continue talking.

"This ship runs on happy faces."

"Happy?" Sora questioned with a pause, before he lifted his head up and showed off a big toothy grin, before loosening up.

"Now that's one funny face!" Donald and Goofy laughed, grateful that the young Keybearer had cheered up.

"Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys." Sora replied.

"I'm Donald Duck!" the duck introduced himself.

"Name's Goofy." the big dog added.

"My name is Aqua, student of Master Eraqus." Aqua replied with a subtle bow before placing her hand over top of Donald's and Goofy's as a symbol of their new bond of friendship.

"And I'm Sora." Sora said as the four of them had now officially become a team.

"All for one, one for all!"

(_**Donald and Goofy have joined your party.**_)

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in another world, a sinister group of figures watched over the new union of heroes.<p>

"I can't believe that little speck of a kid took down that Heartless!" the first voice exclaimed with a fiery temper.

"Calm yourself. Even with the Keyblade's power, the child's strength is not his own." the second voice said with a slimy yet reassuring tone.

"Wouldn't be simpler to turn that morsel into a Heartless?" a gruff pompous voice added, growling audibly.

"Ah-hahahaha! Yeah, that'll settle things quick enough." a cackling woman's voice proclaimed.

"And that brat's friends are the King's lackeys and the girl from the realm of Oblivion! Swoggle me eyes, the lot of them are bilge rats, by the look of them." a pirate captain announced, as he recognized the other three members in Sora's group.

"You're no prize yourself, captain." a cold commanding voice called from the other side of the room, before he chuckled amongst himself as the captain fumed.

"Shut up!" the captain fumed, ready to plunge his shimmering metal hook into the other figure's flesh.

"Hook, Tarkin, enough." a new voice spoke in the distance, welcoming a shadowy figure behind her. "The Keyblade has chosen him. There is no doubt of that. But will it be he who succeeds in conquering the darkness, or will it be the darkness that swallows him? Either way, he could prove useful to us." The voice belonged to the evil witch of the Enchanted Dominion and the Evermoors: Maleficent, the Mistress of All Evil.

* * *

><p>Back in Traverse Town, Sora and Aqua bid farewell to Leon and the others as the group of the town gave the heroes an Elixir, a mysterious book and a large pouch of Munny (the intergalactic currency) as a parting gift.<p>

"Look out for each other." Leon told Sora.

"And this is from us." Donald offered as he gave Sora a scroll that taught a magic attack.

(_**Obtained the power of fire. You have learned the Fire spell, and unlocked the Magic command slot. Whenever you use Magic attacks, you use up Magic Points, or MP. This is measured by the blue gauge on your character's portrait. You can replenish magic by defeating enemies to gradually recover MP, or collect clear orbs or use Ethers to regain MP.**_)

"Now you can use magic too." Donald said before he turned to Goofy to ask him to present his gift to Sora.

(_**Obtained Dodge Roll ability. There are many types of abilities to unlock, which use AP. Equip them in the Abilities menu on the pause screen outside of battle. With the Dodge Roll ability equipped, tilt the left analog stick in any direction while moving and press the Square button to dodge enemy attacks.**_)

"So does that take care of everything?" Sora asked.

"Almost. I see big adventures ahead of us!" Jiminy said as he showed the group the journal. "It's up to me to keep track of it all in the Journal." The group then set out to travel to a new world.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	11. Merrily on our Way

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: We're Merrily on our Way<p>

As the group got into Donald and Goofy's Gummi Ship, Sora began observing the book that Leon and the others had given them before they left Traverse Town.

"I wonder what's in this book that's important." Sora asked himself before starting to page through, finding most of its pages missing. However, with a blinding light, he was sucked into the book much to the surprise of Donald, Goofy, and Aqua. When Sora's eyes began to adjust back to his surroundings, he found himself in what looked like the inside of the book. It was split between two sections of pages: one leading to a quaint little town with a giant City Hall and the statue of a dapper looking toad, and the other leading to a city where a pumpkin's head loomed ominously over the area.

{_World Name: Storybook Land. A book is opened up wide with different colored letters spelling out "Storybook Land" on a shelf._}

"Why hello there, old sport." a disembodied voice spoke to Sora as he looked around. "Would you care to hear the tale of old James Thaddeus Toad? Or perhaps the suspenseful story of Ichabod Crane and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow?"

"Hm... well, call me intrigued, but how about we start with the Toad guy?" Sora asked, as he took the path leading to the City Hall.

"A fine start!" the voice replied as he began his yarn. "Well, it all began back in the middle of August, in a town in the furthest corner of London, which was home to the most remarkable people you'd ever come to meet. There was the fellow Ratty: a stuffy fellow of the bookish sort, but he always means well as far as his friends are concerned. And there was Moley, a kind soul who on this day, joined Rat for a spot of tea down by the riverbank. They were splitting tea and biscuits when a phone call rang out for Rat."

"Who is this, may I ask?" Ratty inquired, before he heard the voice of Angus MacBadger, secretary for the mayor of the town, James Thaddeus Toad.

"Ratty! Bring Moley and come over here at once. It's about Toad!" Angus exclaimed over the phone as the yelling of a crowd was heard on his side of the phone. Now Toad was a fearless and clever soul, and one of the wealthiest men of London. Or, at least he used to be if it weren't for Toad's fascination of adventure and 'positive mania for the fads' bringing him and Toad Hall to bankruptcy. This day, MacBadger was swamped by the townspeople airing their grievances of the trouble Toad has been causing them. As Rat and Mole arrived, they shooed away the angry townsfolk before getting MacBadger into Toad's office.

"These visitors are driving me to ruin! We simply have to confront Toad about stopping these adventures." Angus proclaimed.

"But he promised us he'd stop." Moley piped up before MacBadger scoffed at the statement.

"What good are his promises when his manias are causing us too much financial trouble?" Angus asked. "You two are his friends, right?"

"The closest friends." Rat said.

"Then find Toad and stop him!"

"What's he doing?" Moley questioned, concerned of what Toad could possibly be up to now. If there was one of the many things Toad could pride himself on, it was his unpredictability for manias.

"He's been out in the countryside in a canary colored gypsy cart, with a horse named Cyril." Angus answered, while Sora meanwhile set out to the countryside road to try to find the mayor. When Sora made it out to the outskirts of town, he was ambushed by a group of policemen-like Heartless. Brandishing his Keyblade, he began to get ready for battle, defeating the Heartless easily with a blast of fire and swipes from his sword.

"Want some more?" Sora boasted, as he noticed the Heartless comically scurrying for cover, before he heard a voice in the wind sing out as they rode through the road.

_We're always in a hurry, we have no time to stall!_

_We've got to be there; we've got to be there_

_But where we can't recall._

_We're merrily on our way to nowhere at all!_

Sora then dodge rolled out of the way as the cart sped through where the Keybearer previously stood. Riding it was a fancily-dressed toad skipping rope with the cart's mushing whip as he and the horse ambled past. Rat and Moley were waiting by the outpost as the cart skidded to a halt.

""Hello, you fellows! Just the animals I was coming to see. Come along, and I can show you the world! Peril, thrills, excitement!" Toad proclaimed. "Before I forget, May I introduce you to my noble steed, Cyril?"

"Aye, that's me. How d'ya do?" Cyril greeted the two in a Cockney accent.

"Nice to meet you." Rat answered before he turned his attention back to Toad. "Toad. You simply must put an end to all these manias. It's for your own good."

"Oh, but Rat," Toad rebuked. "You can't simply expect me to give up on my life's calling!"

"It's not what I expect, but it's what must be done. Get him, Mole!" Rat answered back, as he and Mole restrained Toad, before he escaped fromtheir grasp.

"My apologies, but it's no use. You'll never get me to give this up! Tally-ho!" Toad proclaimed as he began to ride away before stopping for a peculiar contraption sputtering past.

"Golly, govn'r. That there's a motor car." Cyril mused as the car rode away.

"A motor car? Of course... what have I been missing?" Toad murmured as his mind began whirring about like the engines of the cars he had started to become fascinated with.

"Lad!" Mole called over to Sora, asking him to help restrain Toad and carry him back to Toad Hall. "A bit of help would suffice here." As the three returned Toad home and locked him in, Sora was mysteriously booted out of the story after introducing himself to the two.

"What gives?" Sora asked, as he was preparing to return back with Aqua and the others.

"I'd love to finish the story, but sorry to say, the pages have been scattered all over. Be sure to collect them all to finish Toad's story as well as Ichabod's. Best of luck to you." the narrator explained to Sora.

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

*** James Thaddeus Toad**- The mayor that resides over Toad Hall. A well-meaning fellow, though his manias cause trouble around the town. His latest fascination leads him to attempt to steal a motor car to fufill his "motor mania". _**Toad went merrily on his way in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949)**_.

* **Ratty**- A water rat who is a close friend of Mr. Toad. Never seen without his bubble pipe and deerstalker cap, he tries to keep the madcap Toad in line with a sensible approach. You could say it's elementary! _**Ratty's investigation was afoot in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949)**_.

* **Moley**- A kind mole who can call Mr. Toad his pal. Wearing his suit and bowler hat, he and Rat constantly make sure to keep Toad in check. He may be a pushover, but he won't hesitate to stand up for what he believes is right. _**Moley travels around in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949)**_.

* **Cyril Proudbottom**- "A bit of a trotter, a bit of a rotter", Cyril is Toad's trusty steed and partner in crime in the mayor's pursuit for adventure. A gentleman even in the form of a horse, he still can't resist the lure of excitement whenever Toad is out and about exploring. _**Cyril gallops over in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949)**_.

* **Angus MacBadger**- The badger who works as Toad's secretary in Toad Hall, he is up to his ears in complaints about the Mayor's adventures. It's clear something must be done about Toad, but what? _**MacBadger takes note in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" (1949)**_.

* **Badgebeater Heartless**- Heartless that take the form of a old-timey police officer, they certainly live to serve, but don't expect them to protect you. Their sticks pack a wallop, but blocks and magic attacks can send them running for cover.

And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!


	12. Shrinking and Growing Pains

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Shrinking and Growing Pains<p>

As Sora was brought back into the space of the Gummi Ship, he saw Aqua, Donald and Goofy staring at him in concern as they flew through the sea of space around asteroids and enemy ships.

"Guys, you won't believe what I saw in that book!" Sora said as Goofy gestured for the boy to buckle down for the ride to their next world. "There was this city with his toad who found a motor car, and-"

"Sorry, Sora" Donald replied as he focused on the controls. "It'll have to wait until we land!" As he turned his focus back in front of him, a passing asteroid dented the ship.

"Whoa, fellas!" a squeaky voice called out through the ship's speakers. "Watch out for those asteroids. We just had this ship waxed the other day!"

"Gotcha, Dale! Tell Chip that we'll be having smooth sailing as much as possible." Donald answered the voice.

"Roger that, Donald." the other voice, belonging to Chip, responded. "Chip and Dale, out." As the group continued through, the finally made it to a new world, where a checkboard pattern made up the land, and a little house laid by one side of the world, and a stone castle on the other.

"Well, are you ready to land?" Goofy asked.

"You bet I am!" Sora answered enthusiastically. The ship then touched down and the group floated down into the new world through a rabbit hole's entrance.

"Gawrsh!" Goofy observed. "After this, I bet we'll think nothing of how falling down the stairs feels."

{_World Name: Wonderland- A deck of red and black playing cards slide into view, before shuffling to reveal their faces with the symbols on their chests spelling out "Wonderland"._}

Soon, the four of them landed on their feet at the bottom of the hole, or least everyone except Goofy did, who fell straight on his back. As they took in the sights, they saw a waistcoat-wearing rabbit carrying a watch scurry past them.

"Oh, my fur and whiskers! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" the Rabbit exclaimed nervously, his feet pattering against the floor shakily. "I'm here, I should be there; I'm in complete and utter despair! No time to say goodbye, hello! I'm late!"

("Welcome to Wonderland" starts playing)

Sora and the others walked through the cramped hallway until they reached a large door. As Aqua stepped forward to open it, it folded itself open, revealing several smaller doors until a opening presented itself. Going through the entryway, the found themselves in a peculiar looking room where the miniscule-looking rabbit now scurried through a plain wooden door with a shiny doorknob. As Sora went forward to open it, he began thinking what kind of place this could be.

"How'd that rabbit get so small?" Sora said out loud as he squeezed the handle of the doorknob and twisted, only to hear a yelp of pain.

"Ohhhhh!"

"Who said that?" Donald quacked, looking around the empty room.

"I think it was the doorknob, Donald." Goofy answered, as they looked at the aroused and groggy doorknob staring back.

"Sorry." Sora apologized nervously.

"It's alright. You meant no offense." the doorknob answered civilly, yawning its keyhole mouth. "But still you needn't be so loud. You woke me up!"

"Anyway, how do we follow that rabbit? How'd he get so small?" Aqua asked the doorknob.

"Sorry to say, you're much too big. Simply impassible. But perhaps if you tried the bottle over there, you'll be directed in the right direction." the doorknob replied as it fell back to sleep after Sora pushed a nearby bed away into the wall where it opened a new path.

"What bottle?" Sora questioned as a table rose up from the ground with two bottles lying around. One of them had a blue label that read "DRINK ME" while the other contained tiny cookies inside which read "EAT ME". "Well, here goes." Sora gulped as he swallowed a swig of the liquid inside the bottle, as he and his friends began to shrink down to the size of a mouse. As they leapt down from the table, a group of Heartless appeared which were floating bulbs colored red and blue which began to throw fire and blizzard spells.

("To Our Surprise" begins playing)

Sora and Aqua dodged the fireballs the red Heartless were firing at them, as Donald cast a ice spell on them to stun them. Sora then swung his Keyblade to send the creature disappearing into a cloud of smoke as a heart flew free from where the monster once floated. He then repeated the process with the rest of them, as he aimed fireballs at the blue Heartless, defeating them with the aid of his fellow party. As the monsters were all cleared, the group then ducked into the newfound entrance before more of the monsters could show up.

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

* **Chip**- One of the kingdom's flight specialists. He helps maintain the gummi ship, which can travel to any destination. Chip is more serious and diligent than his easygoing, playful partner, Dale. _**Chip 'n' Dale's first appearance was in "Private Pluto" (1943)**_.

* **Dale**- One of the kingdom's flight specialists. He helps maintain the gummi ship, which can travel to any destination. Compared to the more serious Chip, he takes a happy-go-lucky approach to life. _**Chip 'n' Dale's first appearance was in "Private Pluto" (1943)**_.

*** White Rabbit**- Loyal servant of the Queen of Hearts. He led Sora and his friends to the Queen of Hearts' castle. _**He wasn't late for his appearance in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Doorknob**- A talking doorknob in the door to Wonderland. To enter, you must turn him, and "one good turn deserves another", as he would say._** Doorknob was the only character in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951) who didn't first appear in the original story**_.

* **Red Nocturne Heartless**- Spellcasting Heartless. While hovering about, they attack by casting Fire. Having low HP, they keep their distance from their opponents, making them difficult to attack. They absorb Fire attacks.

* **Blue Rhapsody Heartless**- Spellcasting Heartless. They approach their enemies by bouncing about and attack with Blizzard and absorb Blizzard attacks.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	13. We're All Mad Here

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: We're All Mad Here<p>

As the group entered the new area, they found themselves in a hedge garden castle surrounded by playing cards standing guard as a young girl with blonde hair and a blue dress stood at a podium. The rabbit from before moved past the soldiers and stood on top of a spiral staircase, panting before he blew into a trumpet as a salute.

"Court is now in session!" the rabbit announced.

"I'm on trial?" the girl questioned. "But why?"

"May the subject hold her tongue before she is spoken to. I now present Her Royal Highness as the presiding judge, the Queen of Hearts." the rabbit continued as he gestured to a queen sitting on her throne in a calm pose that betrayed her heart's true nature.

"This girl, Alice, is the culprit for the theft. There's no doubt of it. And the reason I know is... well, because I say so, that's why!" the Queen sternly stated as she stared down the girl.

"How unfair! This entire trial is absurd!" Alice rebuked distraughtly.

"Well then, my dear. Have you anything to offer in your defense?" the Queen asked.

"Of course: I've done absolutely nothing wrong." Alice answered as she presented her case for her innocence. "Being the queen doesn't give you the excuse to be a pompous old tyrant."

"Silence!" the Queen shouted, making Alice tremble in fear as the monarch's face turned purple with rage. "All ways in this kingdom are my ways. I will not be defied!"

As Sora and the others stood on the sidelines watching the scenario unfold, Sora then turned to his friends in concern.

"Shouldn't we help her?" Sora asked.

"We could, but..." Donald started to explain.

"We're outsiders here, so that would be muddling." Goofy interrupted.

"Meddling!" Donald corrected with a whisper.

"Sora, the worlds haven't always been connected to each other in this way before, so travelers shouldn't interfere with the affairs of other worlds. There's an order of peace and harmony that must be maintained, and the people of all the different worlds can't know about what's out there beyond their home." Aqua told Sora with reluctance.

"But we can't just stand by like this..." the boy thought as he watched the Queen proclaim Alice guilty.

"For the attempted theft of my heart- **OFF WITH HER HEAD**!"

"No!" Alice begged before Sora ran up in the front of the Queen's pedestal.

"You can't do this. This girl isn't the thief you're looking for." Sora defended.

"Uh-huh. It was the Heartle-" Goofy began to add onto Sora's testimony before he stopped himself from blabbing on more and compromising the world order.

"Utter nonsense. Have you any proof?" the Queen asked back, to the response of Sora's stunned silence. Without another word, the girl Alice was locked behind a bird cage prison by the Card Soldiers.

"Don't try anything stupid." one Soldier warned.

"I'm not afraid. Why, you and your men are nothing but a pack of cards!" Alice answered back.

"Don't make things worse for you than they already are. Now, you four must go and collect whatever 'evidence' that can prove the girl's innocence. Fail, and your heads will roll along with hers! Now go!" the Queen ordered, as Sora and the others made their way out into a forest of flowers. When they entered the forest, they were greeted by a group of pudgy Heartless cornering a hare carrying a teapot. Using a Fire Raid attack at the creature's back, Sora ran out and struck down the Heartless with fierce vigor and his friends followed suit in defeating the monsters, dodging the creature's long sweeps of their arms and charging from their bellies.

"Thank you chaps, I thought I was a goner for a moment," the hare greeted the group gratefully.

"What are you doing out here in a place like this?" Aqua asked.

"I was out searching for the Mad Hatter. He was supposed to meet up for our 'unbirthday' party to-day, but he never showed since these monsters popped up all over the place." the hare responded matter-of-factly.

"'Unbirthday?'" Goofy and Donald said in confusion. Before the rabbit could continue any further, a pink and purple colored cat's head bobbed about in the air before landing on top of a log with the rest of its body. "Who are you?"

"Who indeed?" the cat replied suavely. "Poor innocent Alice. Soon to lose her head, but she's not guilty of a thing. But she found out one thing though; the Queen would be mad for her. Simply mad!"

"Then you know who's really behind all this, right?" Sora asked the cat, wanting to find out more. The cat then disappeared and reappeared in front of a pink chest sitting in a undergrowth surrounded by wildgrass and mushrooms. Sora opened the chest and found marks in the soil where the chest was that resembled flat footprints.

"The Cheshire Cat has all the answers, but doesn't always tell. The culprit, the clues, and even the cat lies in the darkness and madness here!" the Cat continued before laughing.

"We don't want to go among mad people!" Donald squawked angrily, garnering a glare from the hare. "Sorry."

"You can't help that. Most everyone's mad here. There are three chests of evidence left. The last one's tricky, but I'll reward you if you get them all." the Cat said as he disappeared from sight.

"Well, then. You four must be exhausted. Come with me and I'll take you over for the party." the hare offered as he led the group further into the forest and to a house that held a fancy tea party.

"Thank you mister..." Goofy thanked the hare on behalf of the rest of the group before pausing to get their benefactor's name.

"Hare. The March Hare." the March Hare replied.

"Don't you think we should trust that cat though?" Sora asked Aqua, only to be surprised as the cat's head popped up in front of their face.

"To trust or not to trust? I trust you'll decide..." the cat cryptically warned before vanishing once more.

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

* **Alice (Entry 1)**- Fell down a rabbit hole into Wonderland. Arrested on suspicion of stealing the queen's heart. Clever and independent for a girl her age, she unfortunately has a strong sense of curiosity that always gets her into trouble._** She fell down the rabbit hole in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Queen of Hearts**- A queen of Wonderland who lives in a castle with decks and decks of card soldiers. Selfish and short-tempered, she beheads anyone who crosses her. She thinks Alice tried to steal her heart. _**She struck terror in our hearts in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

*** Cheshire Cat**- A mysterious grinning cat who talks in riddles and can appear and disappear at will. He loves to mislead and confuse._** He entered with a big smile in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Card of Hearts**- Spear-carrying guards who serve the Queen of Hearts. They fear the short-tempered queen, and are careful not to irritate her. _**They marched onto the scene in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Card of Spades**- Troops with heavy axes who serve the Queen of Hearts. They fear the short-tempered queen, and are careful not to irritate her. _**They marched onto the scene in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **The March Hare**- A hare that hosts a spectacular and off the wall tea party. He loves to drink tea and celebrate everyone's unbirthdays (all 364, to be exact). He is willing to help Sora and the others prove Alice's innocence, but there's no telling how his addled mind works. _**He wished you a merry unbirthday in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Large Body Heartless**- Big round Heartless. They seem tame and laid-back, but go beserk when they are angered. With their brute strength, they can inflict great damage, so be on your guard.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	14. Unbirthdays and Very Good Advice

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 14: Unbirthdays and Very Good Advice<p>

When the group arrived at the March Hare's house, they sat down to begin discussing what they could possibly do to prove Alice innocent.

"The evidence of the Heartless could be anywhere." Aqua told the group as the March Hare handed saucers and cups of freshly-brewed tea and biscuits. "How could be find them all?"

"Well, I may have a bit of advice." the March Hare informed.

"Really? What is it?" Goofy and Donald asked.

"The lass Alice who stopped by here seemed to complain about the twists and turns in the woods. But, in the room where the Doorknob lives, you can arrive at spots where you normally couldn't, if you know where to look." the March Hare explained to Sora and the others.

"I can safely say either way that this isn't the craziest thing I've ever experienced." Aqua laughed, talking about the tea party. "One time when I was at Disney Castle, there was this conceited guy named Captain Justice."

"You mean Pete?" Goofy inferred.

"How interesting!" the March Hare replied, before pausing. "Who's Pete?"

"He was some sort of cat; so-" Aqua explained only to jump in surprise as a mouse sprung up out of the teapot.

"Cat? CAT?!" the mouse squeaked in horror as it dashed across the table.

"Catch him quick!" the March Hare demanded as everyone began scrambling to pick up the mouse, until Sora snatched it up by the tail.

"Now what do I do with him?" Sora asked.

"Give him to me. I need to calm him back down before the party can continue. Now if you go through that door behind me, it'll take you somewhere in the Bizarre Room." the March Hare answered. Leaving their benefactor, the group then found themselves back in the Bizarre Room, landing on top of a water faucet and finding a pink chest on a ledge nearby. Jumping off and managing to grip the ledge by a narrow margin, he pulled himself up and found claw marks on the wall inside the container. Out of nowhere, the Cheshire Cat reappeared in front of the group.

"Well, color me impressed. I never thought you'd find that one." the cat replied as it started to dance about the faucet filling up a jug of water below them as it overflowed and allowed them to drop them and swim to find the chest that held the Heartless's stench.

"Now we can prove Alice innocent." Sora said with a smile.

"Don't be so sure! She may be innocent, but what about you four?" the cat questioned.

"What do you mean by that?" Goofy asked.

"I won't tell you. But I can give you this." the Cheshire Cat replied before giving Sora and the others the ability to use a new spell.

{_**Obtained the power of ice. You have unlocked the Blizzard spell.**_}

After draining the room, Sora and the others returned back to the Queen's Castle, going over to talk to Alice.

"Hey, we got the evidence we need to set you free." Sora assured, to Alice's joy.

"Thank goodness! I can't believe how horrid this day has turned out to be."

"Why'd you get here anyway?" Aqua asked.

"Well, it all started when I was sitting by the riverbank with my sister and my cat Dinah as we went through a history lesson, and I was daydreaming." Alice recalled as she flashed back to the earlier events of the day.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>A_nd even Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury agreed to meet with Sir William and offer him the crown. William's conduct at first was-" Alice's sister read as Alice was busy building flower crowns for herself and Dinah. "Alice! Will you kindly pay attention to your history lesson?" she sternly requested._

_"Sorry, but how can one possibly pay attention to a book with no pictures in it? In my world, books would be nothing **but **pictures." Alice said back._

_"Your world? Nonsense. Now, once more-"_

_"Wait, that's it, Dinah. If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. What it is, it wouldn't be; and what it wouldn't be, it would." Alice began to realize as she told of her revelation to her cat, who meowed in response, and pointed to a rabbit across the river. "Dinah, it's just a rabbit with a waistcoat... and a watch! What could he be late for? Mr. Rabbit, wait!" The rabbit then dived into a rabbit hole, leaving Alice with only the option to squeeze through._

_"We shouldn't be doing this. After all, we haven't been invited and curiosity often leads to troubleeeeeee!" Alice thought out loud to herself as she wormed her way through the hole, finally falling through and was sent tumbling into the abyss. "Goodbye, Dinah!" Alice called out as the cat sadly waved goodbye to her owner. "Goodbye!"_

* * *

><p>"And that's when I found my way to this place, making my way through Mome Raths, Moogles, and Vumbrellas. And then the Queen accused me the instant she saw me, and I was put on trial." Alice concluded.<p>

"Poor girl." Donald and Goofy confined.

"Well, our names are Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Aqua, and we'll get you out of here in no time." Sora introduced himself to Alice as they went in front of one of the Card Soldiers to present their evidence.

"Good luck," the soldier solemnly warned Sora. "Though, since this is the Queen of Hearts you're dealing with, you'll need more than luck."

"Hold it!" the Rabbit proclaimed as he brought forth a familiar witness: the March Hare. "This fellow here says he has proof of the girl's innocence."

"Is that so?" the Queen asked. "What were you doing when this crime happened?"

"Nothing." the Hare replied.

"Nothing whatever?" the Queen questioned.

"Yes, nothing whatever!" the Hare yelled back.

"And that's very important!" the Queen proclaimed, as she turned her attention to Sora and Aqua. "You all should write this down." The two Keybearers took out a notebook and started writing lines of "nothing whatever" as collective testimony, staring at the March Hare nervously.

"Don't worry your heads, you guys. I have an excellent plan." the Hare assured them.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Alice muttered, before a Card Soldier ribbed her with the handle-end of his spear.

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

* **Alice's Sister**- Alice's bookish older sister who tries to help teach her to be a proper educated lady, only to deal with Alice's stubborn habit of daydreaming during lessons. Nobody knows what became of her after Alice entered Wonderland._** She proved herself quite the scholar in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Dinah**- Alice's beloved cat, who she believes is the only one Alice can confide in her wish to live in a world of nonsense without being ostracized. Nobody knows what became of Dinah after Alice entered Wonderland. **_In the world of "Alice in Wonderland" (1951), she wouldn't say 'meow'_**.

* **The Dormouse**- A guest of the Mad Hatter and March Hare's tea party, who can often be found hiding in a tea pot. As with many mice, he becomes frightened upon the mere mention of cats, and can only be consoled with spreading jam on his nose. **_Up above the world of "Alice in Wonderland" (1951) he flies, like a tea tray in the sky_**.

* **Vulbrellas**- A peculiar creature that makes its home in the Lotus Forest. They fly around with its wiry plastic wings carrying it along the breeze, swooping down when its latest prey comes by. Luckily for you, they're up for some Heartless filet in their diet! _**You could find them overhead in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Mome Raths**- Fuzzy, tiny creatures that make their home in the Lotus Forest. If by chance you get lost in the foliage, they'll be more than happy to show you the way out (given you don't step on top of them). _**These little guys led the way in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Brushdog**- A creature that lives in the Lotus Forest. Its job is to brush away dirt and mess away in the forest, and often can dig up HP and munny for you. If you're especially lucky, it might find something really rare! _**It kept things tidy in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Moogles**- Creatures that inhabit many different worlds as shopkeepers. The real question isn't how they can get their pom-pom antennas, but why they keep greeting people with the phrase "kupo". _**Moogles have appeared in various "Final Fantasy" games, but their debut was in "Final Fantasy III" (1990/2006).**_

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	15. Mad Watch!

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 15: Mad Watch!<p>

"Now, let's see the evidence you collected." the Queen asked the group as Sora set the boxes that they found onto the grassy floor in front of her throne. "Fascinating. Now, I ask that the cars bring forth my evidence!" The card soldiers brought forth a new box, as the containers rose up into the air, and shuffled around before settling back down to the ground.

"There's five of these?" Aqua asked.

"Yes, but I imagine going out of your way to find the last one would be a waste of time. Now, pick one of those boxes. The culprit will be decided based on that."

"After all the trouble of collecting it?!" Sora rebuked.

"You dare defy me? Then you will lose your head!" the Queen shouted, as she waited for Sora to make his decision.

"Wait!" the March Hare asked, as he borrowed the watch of the White Rabbit. "If I may, yer highness, there's an easy way to draw the culprit out, and it lies within this watch."

"But what does a watch have to do with this case?" one Card Soldier asked.

"Silence! The watch has everything to do with this case! You may continue." the Queen answered.

"Thank you. Now I believe this clock is exactly two days slow, so... this warrants a look." the Hare explained as he smashed the watch open, prying its parts out with a fork. "The first thing wrong with this is it's full of wheels."

"No!" the White Rabbit cried out, trying to dash out to reclaim his watch, only to be held back by the Card Soldiers. "Not my wheels and springs! B-b-but..."

"Of course, it needs butter and jam! Butter, please!" the March Hare announced.

"BRING HIM WHAT HE WANTS!" the Queen demanded, much to the flustered expressions on the faces of Alice, the White Rabbit, Sora and the rest of his friends. Reluctantly, the Rabbit fetched the butter and jam, as the Hare spread it out inside the watch.

"Thank you kindly," the March Hare said to the White Rabbit as he continued. "Now a nice lemon squeeze and... there! That should do it." He then proceeded to squeeze lemon juice into the watch and everyone then waited for something to happen.

"Well? Where's the thief?" the Queen asked before one of the boxes sprung up into the air and sucked the watch in before exploding with a burst of confetti, revealing a Heartless that resembled a pocketwatch, scrambling about freezing the Card Soldiers in place.

"It's gone mad!" the March Hare deduced.

"No way!" Sora gasped.

"Oh my goodness..." Alice murmured in horror as it leapt toward the Queen.

The March Hare then grabbed a hammer and raised it at the Heartless. "There's only one way to stop a mad watch!"

"Allow me." Aqua offered as she slashed away the Heartless before it could touch the Queen, killing it and leaving a broken watch crashing into the ground, undoing the spell it cast on the Cards.

"Oh, my watch..." the White Rabbit sadly sniffled, picking up the ruined pocketwatch. "And it was an unbirthday present, too!" Aqua stood in silence, reflecting on how easily someone (or something) could turn to darkness, as she recollected a memory of Terra fighting her teacher, Master Eraqus, in the Land of Departure. After a long struggle, the master surrendered to the warped youth.

* * *

><p><em>"Terra," Eraqus asked with sorrow in his voice, before falling to his knees. "How could you?"<em>

_With the last semblance of conscience left in him, Terra came to realize his mistake. "What have I done? Master... I only wanted to save-"_

_"No, you were right. I have nobody to blame for the darkness in you but myself. And now, I've raised my own sword against you." Eraqus apologized wearily. "My own heart is darkness!" As soon as Eraqus finished, he was struck by a blast of darkness from behind, keeling over into Terra's arms, dead._

_"No... Master Eraqus..." Terra wept as his new master stood before him and the world around them began to crumble and succumb to darkness._

* * *

><p>"What in the blazes was that?" the Queen rasped in surprise.<p>

"Your proof. Alice is innocent." Sora answered.

"Grrr..." the Queen growled angrily. "I AM THE LAW HERE! ANYONE WHO DEFIES ME IS GUILTY!"

"Oh dear!" the White Rabbit cried out as he fled from the castle as fast as his feet could carry him. "I'm afraid I must go."

"What?!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed.

"But that's not fair!" Sora rebuked.

"Goodness!" Alice said with surprise.

"I'm sorry, dear chaps, but I do believe this is the end." the March Hare added solemnly.

"SEIZE THEM! OFF WITH ALL THEIR HEADS!" the Queen proclaimed, as the borders leading out of the castle closed and one of the soldiers raised Alice's cage beyond Sora and the others' reach.

{_**Objective: Bring down the cage tower lift and free Alice!**_}

Sora then dodged around the soldiers' swings of their spears and axes to bring down the tower that controlled the height of Alice's cage. Sora smashed away the ceramic tower and its wheel spokes, as Donald and Goofy took care of subduing the card soldiers from attacking him until the tower collapsed on itself and eventually, the cage dropped back down. Everyone's attention turned towards the cage, which slowly opened back up, revealing Alice eliminating a Shadow Heartless with a ball of light.

"Alice! Are you okay?" Goofy asked in concern as the soldiers fearfully released Alice from her cage.

"You fools!" The Queen proclaimed to her soldiers. "This trial is on hold until this land is purged completely of those shadow monsters! I don't care how, but see it done!"

"You know what?" Alice finally spoke as the March Hare guided the group of heroes back into the Lotus Forest for answers. "I do believe I've had enough of my share of nonsense for a day!"

{_**Alice has joined your team! You have unlocked the Queen's Decree Keyblade for Aqua!**_}

When the group entered the Lotus Forest, they immediately were greeted by the Cheshire Cat as a nearby flower spat a rock into the pond near the entrance.

"Hey, have you seen any Heartless come by?" Sora asked.

"Is that what they're called?" the Cheshire Cat answered, as he continued to explain what he knew. "I may have seen some of them go after the doorknob in the Bizarre Room, but I suggest you shine a little light down there first." The cat then disappeared again without any further explanation.

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

* **Alice (Entry 2)**- A spirited and curious girl who stumbled upon Wonderland after chasing a rabbit down a rabbit hole. She was convicted for attempting to steal the heart of the Queen of Hearts, but Sora and the others proved her innocence. The Heartless tried to spirit her away, believing her to be vital to their plans, but the light in her heart helped her fight them off. _**She fell down the rabbit hole in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Terra (Entry 1)**- Aqua's friend and one of the Keyblade wielders from the Land of Departure. In his desire to become a Keyblade Master, his heart succumbed to darkness and he was manipulated to spread suffering throughout the worlds. Aqua is exploring the worlds with Sora in hopes of finding him and redeeming his soul.

* **Master Eraqus**- The Keybearer who taught Terra and Aqua, and promoted Aqua to be a Keyblade Master. Hoping to drive away the darkness from his land, he took up his sword when Terra betrayed the order of Light, only to be struck down by the young man's new master.

* **Mad Ticker Heartless**- A Heartless that resembles a walking pocketwatch, it was created from the lust for the darkness in the Queen's heart and the March Hare's experiment on the White Rabbit's watch. It scurries off into the distance and starts hurling Stop and Slow spells to freeze you in place, so get in close and start wailing away at it.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	16. Twas' Brillig

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 16: Twas' Brillig<p>

As the group looked around the forest to find where a door to the Bizarre Room could lead, they looked about the flowers. As pretty as they looked, Sora denied that they would provide any help in saving Wonderland from the Heartless.

"Oh dear, you six aren't lost, now are you?" a voice called out.

"Who said that?" Sora asked, turning around to find for the source of the voice, before noticing a red rose in the puddle across from the entrance.

"That couldn't be. Flowers can't talk." Donald scoffed before the flower responded.

"But of course we can talk, dears!" the rose spoke.

"That is, if there's anybody around worth talking to." a white buttercup added.

"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Sora, and me and my friends are trying to find a way to get the shadows to show themselves." Sora explained to the flowers.

"Do you really think we could trust that strange kind of wildflower?" one of the other flowers asked before the others voiced their disapproval.

"Now, now, girls! I do believe that they mean no ill will towards the forest and its creatures," the rose tried to reason with the other flowers only to be drowned out by their squawking prattle.

"Please! I've seen what these monsters could do. If we can't stop them, this whole world will be gone." Aqua pleaded, as the flowers gave pause and opened up leading a path to a new turn of the Bizarre Room. Before entering, they saw a white-colored insignia imprinted on the ground with four hearts marked on the edges.

{_**Team Diamond marks appear throughout the many worlds, and can cause special things to happen that will help you uncover secrets. This white diamond allows your team to unveil chests with the power of your weapons combined. Diamond marks only work when Sora, Aqua, Donald and Goofy are in your party.**_}

Sora and the group lifted their weapons above the mark causing a bright light to materialize a treasure chest, which revealed a heart-shaped cookie tart as a keychain. {_**Sora has obtained the Lady Luck Keychain!**_} As they entered the new area of the Bizarre Room, they found two candles in the middle of the room, which they quickly lit. After doing so, the Cheshire Cat appeared and congratulated them.

"That should do it. Now go back down and shadows should show themselves. Are you prepared for the worst to happen?" the Cheshire Cat asked the heroes as they fell back down towards where they entered Wonderland, on top of the table that held the "Drink Me" bottle. "If you aren't, then that's too bad!"

"Quick! Alice, grab the bottle of cookies!" Sora called out, as Alice reached out for the bottle labeled "Eat Me" before it could disappear, and ran for cover by the rabbit hole. "Run!" As Alice escaped, the Cheshire Cat disappeared and a top-hat wearing figure floated above the group of heroes.

"_**Salutations, young wards. I'm surprised you made it this far. Now tell me why your mouths is ajar. I assure you there's no reason for any bad matter; for I am your party host, the Mad Hatter!**_" the figure bellowed in a cryptic sing-song voice rhyming his greeting.

"Hatter?" the March Hare gasped in horror. "What has become of you, sir?"

"_**Oh, Harey, no need to rattle your fur. For it was darkness that grants me this new power, and to rule, the Queen's heart I needed to scour.**_"

"So you're the one responsible! You almost got Alice beheaded!" Aqua shouted at the Mad Hatter.

"_**Don't sweat on the details, they can be such a drag. Be happy that your last hour grants you a dance oh so ragtag. Now 'ere I kill you, not a minute before, why is a raven like a writing desk? They both quote... NEVERMORE!**_" As the Mad Hatter finished speaking, he fused with a Heartless that fell from the ceiling and landed on its feet, unfurling like folded up paper while carrying giant juggling sticks. The Trickmaster's trap had been sprung, and if Sora and the group should fail, Wonderland will become a land of ruin and darkness.

{"Tension Rising (2.5 Arrangement)" starts playing.}

{_**Objective: Defeat the Trickmaster Heartless! The March Hare will help you make the battle easier.**_}

Sora and the group then began to attack the creature's legs, dodging the swings from the Heartless's batons, eventually causing it to stagger and droop its head down, leaving the heroes some time to open an attack on it.

"_**A lucky shot, but not another one will you make. Let's see how many fireballs you fools can take!**_" the Mad Trickmaster spoke in a garbled and demonic lisp, as it praddled on over to the stovetop oven lighting its batons ablaze. The monster then proceeded to launch fireballs at the group, only to be stopped by the March Hare throwing several teapots and saucers at it. Sora then struck back with a fierce combo to the monster's head causing it to drop the batons, which Sora hurled back onto the arms of the Heartless, setting it on fire and bringing its party of chaos to an ugly end.

"It's over!" Sora shouted out as the Trickmaster shuddered violently in place.

"_**No! You ruined my party! RUINED IT! And it was positively the best one to boot!**_" the Hatter/Heartless raged as it was on its death throes.

"Stand back. He's gone stark raving mad, he has." the March Hare warned Sora and his friends, as the monster began to fall over dead. The heart from the creature extracted itself from its body as the Heartless faded away as a crumpled corpse.

{_**Obtained the Ifrit's Horn accessory. Stats: AP- +1. Defense- +1. Grants character who equips it 20% immunity against fire-based attacks.**_}

As Sora, Aqua, Goofy and Donald gasped and panted from the fatigue of the battle, they turned their attention towards the Doorknob across from them.

"What a racket. How is a doorknob supposed to get any sleep?" the Doorknob inquired as it yawned and revealed the sparkling outline of a keyhole through its mouth. Instantly, Sora's Keyblade reacted and fired a beam of light into the keyhole, as it flickered away and made a locking sound before dropping out a tiny gummi-like sliver onto the floor.

"It's a gummi like what our ship's made of. The King must've been near here." Goofy observed.

"Well, then we better hold onto it." Aqua suggested as the March Hare began to celebrate the group's victory over the Heartless.

"Wonderland's been saved! Oh frabjous day, calooh callay!" he cheered as he poured out tea for everyone as they sat around the large room drinking up for a break.

"Say, Mr. Hare, what is an unbirthday anyway?" Donald asked.

"Well, statistics prove that each person has at least one birthday. Imagine, just one birthday every year! But with all 364 unbirthdays, that's precisely the reason to stand and cheer." Everything else was silent until they heard a humming voice in the air as the Cheshire Cat reappeared.

"Cheshire Cat, it's you!" Sora said in amazement.

"Whom else did you expect? Alice, per chance?" the Cheshire Cat asked. "And speaking of her, she offers her thanks to you four, for she has found her way back home safe and sound. But the two friends you've come here in hopes of finding? They never were here! The shadows have taken them. Heeheehee, and the mome raths outgrabe..." the

"No..." Sora frowned sadly.

"Don't worry, we'll find them soon." Aqua reassured Sora as the group began to set out for the next world.

"Hey, Sora, Aqua, Donald, Goofy." the March Hare and Dormouse called out as they entered the Gummi Ship. "A very merry unbirthday to you all!"

"Thanks. And to you as well." Aqua replied as they set sail back into space.

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

* **The Mad Hatter**- The host of the Tea Party garden, who went missing when the Heartless appeared, leaving the March Hare and Dormouse to fend for themselves against the new monstrous arrivals. Succumbing to the darkness by being persuaded to rule Wonderland, he became one with the Trickmaster Heartless, orchestrating the attack on the Queen's castle, only to meet his end at Sora's hands._** He ordered the madness in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **The Red Rose**- A talking flower who lords over the other flowers in the Lotus Forest. She orchestrates the chorus of flowers as they sing the music of the forest, and can help those who lose their way. _**You could learn a lot of things from this flower in "Alice in Wonderland" (1951)**_.

* **Trickmaster Heartless**- Heartless that Sora and company encountered while searching for the real cause behind the attack on the Queen. Its herky-jerky attacks and juggling act flustered Sora and the others.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	17. Fight for It

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 17: Fight for It<p>

As Sora and the team landed in the new world, they discovered their new destination was a giant coliseum straight out of the era of ancient Greece. A Pegasus horse strode by a stable near the entrance, preening its wings.

{World Name: Olympus Coliseum- Clashes of swords can be heard as two gladiator figures stand over a coliseum's entrance, as the words "Olympus Coliseum" appear amidst fanfare.}

{"Olympus Coliseum" starts playing}

"Jiminy, what does the King's memo of this world say?" Sora asked.

"Well," Jiminy began as he read over the description of the world. "The Coliseum is home to a major tournament where visitors from all over come to compete to see who is the greatest hero around." Sora then instantly jogged into the vestibule up ahead which led inside the Coliseum itself. Before Sora went inside, he opened up a pair of treasure chests, obtaining a potion and mythril shard as well as freeing a group of Pongo and Perdita's puppies, sending them back home. When they entered the vestibule, they saw a goat-like man tending to a rules board near the entrance to the training field.

"Hey, where's-" Aqua asked.

"Good timing. Listen, can you move that pedestal over there for me? I've gotta get this place spruced up for the games." the goat man replied without looking back to see who was there. Sora then proceeded to attempt to move the large pedestal sitting in the corner of the room, only to fail to get it to budge even an inch.

"I can't get it to move. It weighs a ton!" Sora said in frustration.

"What?! Too heavy? Herc, since when have you been such a-" the goat man gasped in disbelief as he turned around to confront the group. "Oh, wrong guy. What are you doing here? This is the world-famous Coliseum... heroes only! And I have my hands full running things around here, so amscray, pipsqueaks!"

"You don't remember me at all, don't you?" Aqua asked the goat.

"I've had a lot of guys around here, so don't expect me to recognize-" the goat man said before his eyes ogled over Aqua's figure. "-Whoa! Welcome back, miss Aqua."

"You know him?" Goofy asked.

"Years ago, I came to this world on my own adventure, and here's where I met Hercules and Phil here." Aqua explained.

"She certainly is a hero if there ever was one!" Phil added. "But it'll take a lot more to convince me that you three are up to snuff."

"Up to snuff?" Donald quacked angrily. "You have heroes right in front of you."

"Uh-huh. Sora here's a real hero, chosen by the Keyblade." Goofy said as he defended Sora and the others.

"A hero? That porcupine-haired runt?" Phil laughed, hardly convinced that Sora's story was meant to be taken seriously. "If you can't even move this here, then you can't call yourself- a hero!" Phil continued as he demonstrated trying to push the pedestal, only to fail similarly as Sora did. "Well, you can see it takes more than just brawn."

"I'm sorry, Phil. But I'm with them, so if they can't compete, then I won't either." Aqua rebuked, giving Phil pause.

"Sorry to hear that, Aqua, but no pass for them means no entry. But if those three really want to learn how to be heroes, have them practice this spell."

{_**Obtained the power of lightning. You've obtained the Thunder magic spell!**_}

"We'll be back." Sora inquired to Phil as the group went out of the vestibule and out towards the entry field.

"Wait!" Aqua interrupted before they were about to leave, turning back towards Phil. "Do you know what happened to Zack Fair?"

"Wha? You mean that spiky-haired kid who trained with Herc? I can't say I've seen him. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Aqua answered sadly as they left the area. "It's just- I owe him a date."

The group was almost by the door leading to the world's exit, when a slimy voice spoke to them.

"Geeze Louize, what's got his goat, huh?" the figure, a grey-skinned man in a black robe with blue flames for hair, mused.

"Who are you?" Donald asked him.

"Whoa, hold it small fries. Lemme see if I've got things straight: you four want to enter the games, right?" the man continued. "Then get a load of this." Instantly, a pass to enter the games materialized out of thin air for the heroes.

"This is for us?" Sora asked skeptically.

"That's right, kiddo. Just tell them ol' Hades sent ya. I'm pulling for you, little shorty." {_**You have obtained the Hero's pass! You can now enter the Olympus Coliseum Preliminaries.**_}

Sora and the group then returned inside the Coliseum to present their pass to Phil.

"Where'd you say you got this?"

"We, uh, found it outside. So can we enter?" Sora begged.

"Mmhm, okay, you win. You can compete. But I have to warn you, some real weirdoes entered the tournament too, so be on your guard." Phil warned. "So, what are your names?"

"Sora, and aside from Aqua, the guys I'm with are Donald and Goofy."

"Alright, then. Just remember these two simple words: Never. Let. Your guard. Down." Phil added as he ushered the group into the battlefield, as Goofy was busy counting on his fingers how many words Phil actually told them as advice.

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

* **Philoctetes**- Phil the satyr is a veteran trainer of heroes and Herc's mentor. These days he's very busy running the Coliseum and choosing competitors suitable for the games. Though he allows Aqua access to compete in the tournament, he is skeptical of whether Sora is hero material._** He came out of retirement in "Hercules" (1997)**_.

* **Pegasus**- A beautiful horse that can fly just like an eagle, Pegasus is Hercules' loyal partner. Hercules' father Zeus created Pegasus from a cloud and gave him to Hercules when he was a baby. They were separated for a while, but Hercules and Pegasus were reunited when they grew up. _**Pegasus soared onto the scene in "Hercules" (1997)**_.

* **Hades**- Lord of the Underworld. He's using the Heartless to try and take over the world. Hades wants Herc and Sora out of the way, but all his schemes against Sora and the others seem to end in failure. _**He heated things up in "**__**Hercules" (1997)**_.

***Zack Fair**- A boy who longs to become a hero. He heard that Phil specialized in training heroes, and competed to become his next student, but Hercules ended up edging him out. Nothing fazes Zack, who smiles his way through the worst of troubles. Zack disappeared one day at the Coliseum, and he hasn't been heard from since. _**Zack became a SOLDIER for hire in "Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-" (2008)**_.

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


	18. A Silver Lining in Every Cloud

Kingdom Hearts Alpha

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters and settings. They belong to Square Enix and Disney.

* * *

><p>Chapter 18: A Silver Lining in Every Cloud<p>

("Go for It!" starts playing)

Sora and the group of heroes battled through each match with great relish and teamwork, coming across several Heartless which fell by their combined strength. This feat managed to impress Phil.

"You know what? You four aren't that half bad. I just wish he could see you right now."

"Who?" the group collectively asked.

"Hercules, a hero if there ever was one. It's too bad he's gone visiting his father at Mt. Olympus." Phil answered.

Meanwhile, Hades was in the shadows talking to a blonde-haired young man who would be Sora's next opponent.

"That kid there's your next foe. So just give it all you got at him, and don't hold back."

With a pause, the man spoke. "The Dark Lord of the Underworld is afraid of a little kid? ...Sorry, but my contract says that-"

"I KNOW WHAT IT SAYS! I WROTE THE CONTRACT! It says you have to kill Herc for me, but to get him, you need to beat those guys there. It's like that old goat says: It's just a game, so let loose and have fun with it." Hades rebuked as the young man left to enter the battlefield. Hades then gave off a sly smirk, as he always has a Plan B on his plate- in this case, the Underworld guardian Cerberus.

{"Shrouding Dark Cloud" plays}

{_Objective: Confront Cloud!_}

The fight against the swordsman was ferocious, with the two Keybearers going blade to blade against the enemy, only to be buffetted back by his quicker and stronger strikes against them. Donald and Goofy were quickly knocked out, and Sora and Aqua soon followed, as Phil threw in the towel in horror. Having Sora pinned down, Cloud observed Sora's Keyblade before being smacked away by Cerberus's paw, startling everybody.

"Ooh, right. There's one other rule I forgot, Spikey. Accidents. Happen." Hades piped in before making his leave. The monster then lunged down, about to destroy the group, if not for a muscle-bound figure stopping it in its tracks.

"Herc!" Phil shouted in surprise.

" Phil, get them out of here!" Hercules warned as everyone fled the battlefield and Back into the Vestibule.

"What in the world was that?" Donald quacked in exasperation.

"Cerberus, one of Hades's evil monsters. Though I'm pretty sure Herc can handle it. Or not. Oh no..." Phil said in a panic.

"We can't just leave him to face that monster alone!" Sora said in concern as the group began to dash back into the battlefield. "You can decide after this whether we're hero material or not."

"Suit yourself, kid. Good luck." Phil answered as they ran out and entered a battle position against the three headed beast as Herc made his escape with the unconscious Cloud. "I've got two words of advice for ya: ATTACK!"

The battle started off as the group around different sides of the field trying to confuse the monster as Sora and Aqua would come in from behind and leap onto its back and pound away at it. They managed to take out a sizable chunk of its health before it laid itself down and tried to rip the heroes apart. Aqua then activated her Spellbinder command style, and frequently cast spells at it until it finally collapsed in defeat as Sora threw in the final blow.

_**You have obtained Inferno Band. Stats increase: Def.- +1. Fire and dark damage reduced by 20%. You have also obtained Torn Page of Toad.**_

As Phil and Herc congratulated the group by awarding them the right to participate in the games and be dubbed "junior heroes", because according to Phil, they still don't understand what it takes to be a true hero. Either way, the heroes were about to leave when they saw the man Cloud sitting by himself.

" Hey. How'd you get mixed up with that hothead anyway?"

"...I'm looking for someone. Hades promised to help. I thought I could exploit the darkness to win my way through, but I was wrong. Because of that, I couldn't find the light." Cloud answered

"You'll find it. I'm searching too. So how about a rematch next time?" Sora asked.

"I'll pass, but take this with you. Don't lose sight of the light." (You have obtained the Sonic Blade attack.) As the heroes made their way back to the Gummi ship, night fell and Hades was ranting to himself about Hercules.

"Wait, what have I to worry about? Let Wonderboy train the kid, and in the next games, I'll take them both out." Hades decided as Maleficent appeared behind him. " Hey, who invited you here? Why don't you go back and sulk about that Stefan guy? This is my show."

"...As you wish." Maleficent answered emotionlessly before disappearing. "Fight to your heart's content."

* * *

><p>Jiminy's Journal<p>

* **Hercules**- A legendary hero with godlike strength. He's the son of the gods Zeus and Hera, but not a god himself. The people regard Hercules as a true hero._** He went from 'zero to hero' in "Hercules" (1997)**_.

* **Cerberus**- Guardian of the Underworld and loyal servant to Hades. Herc defeated it once before, but Hades has brought it back to face Sora and the group. _**It first stood watch for Hades in "Hercules" (1997)**_.

* **Cloud Strife**- A fighter hired by Hades to compete in the Coliseum. Despite his association with Hades, his heart is untouched by the Heartless. Cloud keeps very much to himself, which makes him something of an enigma. What is he seeking? _**He fought his way to find the light in "Final Fantasy VII (1997)**_.

* **King Stefan**- The ruler of the Enchanted Dominion, and childhood friend of Maleficent. Driven by the lust for power in his dark heart, he eventually betrayed Maleficent by stealing the wings she held dear and offering them to the dying king of his Kingdom. This act soured Maleficent's trust, and set her off on a path of revenge. ** _He ruled with an iron fist in "Maleficent" (2014)._**

* * *

><p>And that concludes yet another update. Please remember to review and share this story to help spread awareness and keep it going. See you all next time!<p> 


End file.
